J.J. O'Connor has returned to the Skokie Skatium many times over the last 16 years, but he knows this year is different.
That was the location where, on Oct. 24, 1995, O'Connor, then a senior at Loyola Academy, was playing a midget-level game for the McFetridge Patriots against the Skokie Flyers. O'Connor hit the boards at an awkward angle, fracturing three vertebrae in his neck and sustaining spinal-cord damage.
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As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
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